Chapter 5 - The Recording
My father had been dead for five years. Yet somehow, he had left me a warning.
I waited until midnight.
Sarah sat on the couch.
Liam stood near the window.
“You trust him?” Sarah asked.
I knew she meant Liam.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he could have told everyone who I was tonight.”
“He still might.”
“He won't.”
Liam looked at me.
“You sound very certain.”
“I am.”
He smiled faintly.
“That's what scares me.”
I inserted the USB drive into an isolated computer.
The screen opened to a single file.
BENNETT_11_14
November 14.
Five years ago.
My birthday.
I stared at the filename.
“That can't be right.”
Liam leaned closer.
“Play it.”
The video began.
My father appeared on screen.
Older.
Tired.
Sitting in the study of our old house.
My chest tightened.
I hadn't seen his face move in years.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If you're watching this, something has gone wrong.”
Sarah covered her mouth.
Dad continued.
“I don't know who will find this.”
He paused.
“But I know one thing.”
His eyes moved toward the door.
“Nexus was never supposed to belong to me.”
I froze.
Liam whispered,
“What?”
Dad continued.
“I was only the person who kept the documents.”
“What documents?” Sarah whispered.
I shook my head.
Dad looked directly into the camera.
“Alina, if this reaches you, I'm sorry.”
My heart stopped.
He knew my name.
He knew I would watch this.
“You were always the smartest person in this family. I knew that would become dangerous.”
He took a deep breath.
“Your mother wanted control.”
My aunt's image came to mind.
Then he said something that made the room go cold.
“Gary wanted money.”
Sarah looked at me.
Dad continued.
“And I wanted to keep you alive.”
I stopped the video.
Nobody spoke.
Liam finally said,
“Alive?”
I stared at the screen.
“Play it.”
The video continued.
“I discovered what they were doing three years ago.”
Dad explained that he had discovered hidden accounts tied to a private network of shell companies.
Money moved through those companies into early-stage technology investments.
One of the investments had grown unexpectedly fast.
Nexus.
My father's role had been to protect the original ownership structure.
He had been terrified someone would discover who actually controlled the company.
That someone was not the government.
Not a competitor.
It was a man named Victor Hale.
Liam's face changed.
“Victor Hale?”
I looked at him.
“You know him.”
“Everyone in the industry knows him.”
“Why?”
“He was once on our advisory board.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
“He disappeared.”
“When?”
“Five years ago.”
The exact year my father died.
We played the recording again.
Dad looked frightened.
“If Victor finds out Alina owns Nexus, he'll come for her.”
Sarah whispered,
“Why?”
The screen flickered.
Then Dad said,
“Because Nexus was built with his money.”
I stared.
“What?”
Liam moved closer.
“That can't be true.”
Dad continued.
“He believes the company belongs to him.”
The video suddenly cut.
Black screen.
No ending.
No explanation.
Nothing.
Sarah began to cry.
“So your dad knew?”
“Yes.”
“And Mom?”
“She knew something.”
Liam looked at me.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“The file metadata.”
I turned.
He showed me the timestamp.
It had been modified six months ago.
Someone had reopened the recording recently.
I stared.
“Who?”
He shook his head.
“Unknown.”
My phone buzzed.
Another unknown message.
Now you understand why I told you not to trust Liam.
I looked at him.
He saw the message.
His expression hardened.
“Don't believe it.”
“I'm not.”
Another message arrived.
Ask him what happened to Victor Hale.
I looked at Liam.
“What happened to Victor Hale?”
He hesitated.
Then said,
“We killed him.”
Sarah screamed.
I stared at him.
Liam immediately stepped forward.
“Not literally.”
“You said killed.”
“I meant his company. His influence. We destroyed his network.”
“How?”
“I was part of the team.”
I looked at the message again.
Then back at Liam.
“Were you?”
May you like
His face changed.
“For the first time tonight, you should be asking what I haven't told you.”
